1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sunroof device for a vehicle in which a movable panel is at least operated from a slide down operation to a sliding operation and from the sliding operation to a slide up operation so as to open and close an opening mounted on a roof of the vehicle, and in particular relates to a check mechanism which holds a driven shoe so as to prevent the movable panel from being slid when the movable panel is under the slide up operation and a slide down operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional sunroof device for a vehicle is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 64 (1989)-22621. The sunroof device for a vehicle disclosed in the prior art comprises a guide rail fixed on a roof panel so as to be located near a circumferential portion of an opening disposed on the roof panel. The sunroof device for a vehicle comprises a driving shoe, a driven shoe and a movable panel pivotably supported on the driven shoe and supported on the driving shoe through a link mechanism in order that the movable panel may open and close the opening through an operation of the link mechanism. The sunroof device for a vehicle further comprises a check mechanism disposed between the driven shoe and the guide rail and which prevents the driven shoe from being slid at a given position. The link mechanism is operated by a slide operation of the driving shoe in order that the movable panel is operated from the slide down operation to the sliding operation and from the sliding operation to the slide up operation so as to open and close the opening.
In accordance with the prior art, the check mechanism includes a check member slidably supported on the guide rail and which is engagable and disengagable with the driven shoe. The check mechanism further includes a lever pivotably supported on the driven shoe and which is engagable and disengagable with the movable panel and the check member. The driven shoe is prevented from being slid at a given position by the engagement of the check member and the driven shoe. The lever and the movable panel are engaged with each other by the slide down operation of the movable panel so as to rotate the lever. Therefore the lever and the check member are engaged so as to disengage the check member from the driven shoe in order that the driven shoe is able to be slid. To the contrary, the lever and the movable panel are disengaged from each other by the slide up operation of the movable panel. Therefore the lever and the check member are disengaged so as to engage the check member with the driven shoe in order that the driven shoe is not able to be slid.
However in accordance with the prior art, since the movable panel is dislocated from the tilt position to be located relative to the corresponding position of the driving shoe, because of manufacturing variations of the scale of the parts in the link mechanism which slides up and slides down the movable panel, the timing of the engagement and the disengagement between the check member and the driven shoe is also dislocated from the timing to be engaged and disengaged relative to the corresponding position of the driving shoe. Therefore, the slide stroke of the driving shoe is varied relative to a predetermined stroke. Consequently, the sunroof device for a vehicle must be enlarged and heavy in weight because of the enlargement of the driving shoe.